Over the past 30 years, the population of the North Kazakhstan region has dropped twofold. As of February 2022, there were half a million residents while in 1991 the region accounted for one million people. The decline in population is driven by a natural decline in the population and a negative balance of migration.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the population in the North Kazakhstan region has been declining since 1992 by 0.8-0.9% a year on average. Last year this rate was even faster – 1.8%.
As of March 1, 2022, the region is the least populated in the country due to a high rate of natural population decline (minus 1,900 in 2021). This means that more people die in the region than are born.
The rate of migration in the North Kazakhstan region is also high, similar to migration in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country. About 1,800 –2,300 people leave the region a year; 67% of them are Russians who in 90% of cases are returning to Russia.
